Dressed as a farmer's widow, she brought her daughter to stock up on food and reached the top

Zhou Dazhu ran back in a panic, and as soon as he entered the door, he gasped and shouted, "Hongmei, something's wrong!" His face was flushed, and beads of sweat the size of beans were dripping down his forehead.

Hongmei was mending clothes in the house. She was startled by his sudden shout and quickly stood up and asked, "What's the matter? What happened?"

Zhou Dazhu panted and said, "Little Bear fainted from heatstroke and was picked up by Xiuying."

When Hongmei heard this, the needle and thread in her hand fell to the ground with a "clack". Her face turned pale instantly and her voice trembled: "What? Little Bear fainted?"

Zhou Dazhu walked to the table, sat down, held his head in his hands, and said in pain: "What should we do now? Go and pick up Xiao Xiong, but we don't have money to hire a doctor for him."

Hongmei's eyes were filled with tears. She paced back and forth in the room, saying anxiously, "What should I do? I can't just ignore the child."

The couple looked at each other and decided that they were really short of money. Even if they went to pick up Xiao Xiong, they wouldn't be able to treat him. Zhou Dazhu sighed heavily, and Hongmei couldn't help but cover her face and cry.

Zhou Dazhu and Hongmei sat opposite each other, both of their faces filled with sorrow and helplessness.

Zhou Dazhu frowned and was the first to break the silence, saying, "Hongmei, I'm thinking, let's wait until Xiao Xiong recovers before we go and pick him up."

Hongmei raised her tear-stained face and said in a sobbing voice, "This is the only way. He has food and drink at Xiuying's house. Maybe he will get better soon."

Zhou Dazhu bit his lip and took a deep breath: "Yes, given our current situation, if we bring him back, he will suffer with us."

Hongmei nodded gently, twisting the corners of her clothes with her hands: "I just hope Xiuying can take good care of Xiaoxiong. When he recovers, we will thank him properly."

Zhou Dazhu looked out the window with a hollow look in his eyes: "I hope Xiao Xiong can get better soon. This child has such a hard life..."

The house fell into a long silence, with only the couple's heavy sighs echoing.

On the other side, the village chief’s youngest son Li Shenghui struck the gong.

The village chief stood under the old locust tree in the center of the village, and solemnly called on the villagers to deal with the drought.

The village chief yelled at the top of his lungs, "Everyone come here, come here!"

When the villagers heard the sound of the gong, they rushed out of their homes and surrounded the village chief, with anxiety and uneasiness on everyone's face.

The village chief cleared his throat and said, "The drought is getting worse. We need to work together to find a solution!"

"Yes, village chief, the crops in the fields are almost dead!" a young man said anxiously.

An old man replied worriedly, "If we don't find a solution, all the fruits and vegetables in our fields will die this year. What are we going to do?"

The village chief frowned, his hands behind his back, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "Let's first organize people to dig a few new wells to see if we can find a water source. Also, every household must conserve water and use everything that can store water."

Everyone nodded and discussed the specific division of labor.

In the crowd, some sighed, some clenched their fists, and everyone understood that this was a difficult battle.

Just then, Xiuying's voice rang out: "Village chief, I have a suggestion." She squeezed out of the crowd with a firm look on her face.

Everyone's eyes were focused on Xiuying, and the village chief quickly said, "Xiuying, tell me something."

Xiuying cleared her throat and said, "The only water source left for the whole village is the one on the back mountain. I suggest that we arrange for people to take turns guarding it. This will ensure fair water use and prevent waste or competition."

She swept her eyes over the crowd and continued, "Also, the water keeper must strictly record the water consumption of each household, so that everyone knows the answer and can supervise each other."

The village chief nodded repeatedly after hearing this: "Xiuying, this is a good idea. What do you think?"

The villagers murmured among themselves, one after another expressing their agreement. One of the elder sisters gave a thumbs-up: "Xiuying, this is a thoughtful idea. Let's do it!"

The village chief looked at the crowd with a determined gaze, then said loudly, "It's settled then! I'll have my eldest son lead the young men in the village to dig a new well, and each household will contribute one person."

The village chief's eldest son, Li Gang, stood out from the crowd. He patted his chest and said in a loud voice, "Dad, don't worry. I promise to lead everyone to do a good job!"

Li Gang is a tall and strong man with a determined look on his face. His eyes are full of determination.

The village chief stepped forward and patted Li Gang's shoulder heavily: "Gangzi, this is a big event for our village. You must set a good example for me and don't let everyone down!"

Li Gang nodded vigorously: "Got it, Dad!"

The young and middle-aged men in the village also gathered around, all ready to try.

A young man shouted, "Brother Gang, we all listen to you!"

Led by Li Gang, a group of enthusiastic young people carried tools and strode towards the selected well-digging site. The sunlight shining on them seemed to be coated with a layer of hope.

Zhou Dazhu and his wife Hongmei were discussing the matter of Little Bear in the house. They both looked worried and sighed.

At this moment, Li Gang's voice came from outside the yard: "Zhou Dazhu, hurry up, let's go dig a well together!"

When Zhou Dazhu heard the voice, his brows furrowed, his eyes rolled around, and he stood up, walked to the door, and shouted, "Brother Li Gang, I can't go today. My child is missing, and I'm anxiously looking for him!"

Upon hearing this, Li Gang walked into the yard, his face full of suspicion. "What? The child is missing? Zhou Dazhu, don't try to be cunning. Digging a well is a big deal for the whole village!"

The other villagers who had come to call for help also gathered around and accused him, "Zhou Dazhu, you can't let down your guard at this time!"

Zhou Dazhu pretended to be pitiful, his voice tinged with tears: "How can I joke about my child? If he's really gone, how can I have the heart to dig a well?"

The one sent out to dig the well was Sun Dasao's eldest son, Jindan. When Jindan heard what Zhou Dazhu said, he said, "Didn't Xiuying rescue Xiaoxiong? I heard everything."

When Zhou Dazhu heard this, his expression changed and he began to stammer, "This...this...even if Xiao Xiong is fine, my wife Hongmei isn't fully recovered yet. I have to take care of her, so I really can't go."

Li Gang glared at Zhou Dazhu and shouted angrily, "Zhou Dazhu, stop making excuses! The whole village is working hard to fight the drought, and you're just trying to slack off!"

Other villagers also echoed: "That's right, we can't let your family's affairs delay the important matters of the whole village!"

Zhou Dazhu still stiffened his neck: "Anyway, my wife needs someone to take care of her, I can't leave."

Butcher Li couldn't help but interrupt, "Zhou Dazhu, how serious can your wife's minor illness be? Everyone is fighting for water, can't you take some responsibility?"